GS front suspension advice

[Warthog]

I finally made it after 18 months of pinning

I now have a GS 1150. A tidy silver number on a Y plate (Pre-servo brakes as I prefer) with a mere 8500m on the clock! It has part worn Tourance tyres at present. Due to a back injury, I have only ridden it once and this was to see the physio: hardly the hooning expedition I had dreamed of for my first outting with my new lurve!

Anyway, here's my question: Following test rides and reviews I am aware of the telelever frnt end on most Beemers, but I am used to a degree of dive on braking after a succession of Jap bikes. This dive has always given me a good feedback of how hard I may be pushing the front end under heavy braking, particularly whilst leaning. I know its best to finish braking before entering a corner, but sometimes its necessary.

So can any more experienced BM riders give any pointers as to how to fill this gap in feel for he bike's composure? I'd rather have some say in hen my GS first ends up off road....!

 

[Pressurized]

Most people would probably say you should keep practising until you're confident because the front end is really well planted on these bikes. If you want a bit more 'feel' then wind off some preload from the front shock - that'll give a bit more dive on braking.

Enjoy!

 

[Paul Young]

Mine's a '00 R1150 on a "W" plate & I used the minimum setting on the original front shock's preload. I ride quite fast & have used the front brake, deep into corners on occasions, but prefer to "trail" the rear if I'm needing to adjust whilst cornering.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Darkhorse73,

Congratulations on your new bike, but can we get one thing straight right away? You do not have a GS1150 - you have an R1150GS!!!

Good. Now re. the front suspension and lack of dive, lack of feel - I would bear with it a while before adjusting the suspension. I felt exactly the same way as you when I first got my GS (it was the issue that took me longest to get comfortable with on my new bike) - but you do get used to it and after a while you won't even think about it. I don't have ABS or servo, so I'm constantly testing the limits of the breaking just to keep myself 'tuned', IYKWIM! You just learn to sense the limits in a different way than just going by dive. You could play around with the front settings but it'll bugger up the handling and then you'll feel even less confident.

Welcome to the club - enoy

 

[Warthog]

Hello Paul,

Thanks for getting back to me. Both you and the others have interestings suggestions. I'll have wait 'til my back's sorted before trying any.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to download your TT footage with a mere dial-up connection (40 kb/s), but I keep getting spat out by the connection. Annoying when I had 30% of the mountain section already downloaded (best part of an hour). Any suggestions for accessing this more successfully?

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

Any suggestions for accessing this more successfully?


broadband ?

 

[Steve]

Meanwhile, I've been trying to download your TT footage with a mere dial-up connection (40 kb/s), but I keep getting spat out by the connection. Annoying when I had 30% of the mountain section already downloaded (best part of an hour). Any suggestions for accessing this more successfully?

PM me your address and I'll put them on a CD for you.

 

[Paul Young]

Hello Paul,

Thanks for getting back to me. Both you and the others have interestings suggestions. I'll have wait 'til my back's sorted before trying any.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to download your TT footage with a mere dial-up connection (40 kb/s), but I keep getting spat out by the connection. Annoying when I had 30% of the mountain section already downloaded (best part of an hour). Any suggestions for accessing this more successfully?

PM'd you......

HTH,